“I think Pop’s just done a great job this year,” Adelman told the Chronicle. ”To me, the record they have, he’s the Coach of the Year, the way he’s put these guys together and the type of season they’ve had.

“Right now, they’re still the best team in the league. They’re so efficient. They played together so long, especially (Tony) Parker and (Manu) Ginobili.

“They’ve got two playmakers. That’s really hard to guard. That’s like (Steve) Nash the other night. He had nine points, but he set the whole thing in motion for them. That’s what those two guys do.

“Pop has those guys playing well. He has his role players playing well off the bench. They shoot the 3s well. They just take advantage of what you give them.”

“Every year, they’re there and they’re the epitome of a championship franchise,” Spoelstra told the Sun-Sentinel. “We’ve always had the ultimate respect for them and what they’ve been able to accomplish. This year, it’s probably little bit of a surprise how well and how efficient they’ve played … They’ve already been tested through adversity. They’ve been through playoff battles. They’ve been through all the ups and downs.”